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DTRA’s advancements in nuclear and radiological detection
A new, more complex nuclear age has begun. Echoing the tensions of the Cold War amid rapidly evolving nuclear and radiological threats, preparedness in the modern age is a contest of scientific innovation. The Research and Development Directorate (RD) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is charged with winning this contest.
G. R. Caskey, Jr.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 8 | Number 2 | September 1985 | Pages 2293-2298
Material Interaction | Proceedings of the Second National Topical Meeting on Tritium Technology in Fission, Fusion and Isotopic Applications (Dayton, Ohio, April 30 to May 2, 1985) | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A24622
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Investigations of helium effects in metals at the Savannah River Laboratory have been carried out by introducing helium by radioactive decay of tritium. This process does not create concurrent radiation damage, such as accompanies ion implantation and (n,α) reactions. The process has its own peculiarities, however, which partially mask and interact with the helium effect of interest. The distribution and local concentration of helium and tritium, which are responsible for changes in mechanical properties and fracture mode, are controlled by the large difference in solubility and diffusivity between the two atoms and by their differing interaction energies with lattice defects, impurities, and internal boundaries. Furthermore, in all investigations with helium generated from tritium decay, some tritium and deuterium are always present. Consequently, property changes include tritium-helium interaction effects to some extent. Results of investigations with several austenitic stainless steels, Armco iron, and niobium single crystals illustrate the variety of phenomena and some of the complex interactions that can be encountered.